Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-07-04
ABOUT UMBRELLAS.
THEIR ORIGIN ASSOCIATED WITH
SHADE RATHER THAN MOISTURE.

The Umbrella Relic Of Solar Wor-
ship-Mrs. Camps Sunshade-The FASH
ionabIe Article = Folding UP silk
UmDrella--A Sure Test.
4 There are those who suppose chat the
/ origin Of the umbrella Is to be sought for
l in mans need of some portable protection
from the rain, which need found express
| sion in the invention of the modern UNI
brella. Philology and science, however,
point to different conclusion, the former
! telling us that the umbrella is associated
with shade rather than moisture, and the
4 latter that it Is o relic of solar worship.
1 The word 'sumbrella' is d reduplicated
form Of the Latin word umbra, signifying
shade and means really little shade,
1 In the same way that caliga Qeggings is
father to the word sscaligula' littlc leg
4 gings).
Having decided the origin Of the word,
we will next proceed to give the view Of a
certain learned specialist as to the deriva-.
ton of the article itself. The umbrella,
according to orr authority, Is relic Of
solar worship, was probably imported
4 from Persia, and its origin has no more to
I do with keeping Off rain than with keep
4 ing off lightning or thundcrbolts. The
| Persians, it is well lzne.Tn, were worship
ers Of the heavenly bodies, the sun Occur
/ pying the sa1ae place among their hier-
archy of deities as he does among his own
| orbs VieMing him as all powerful, as
| all intelligent, cognizant of the smallest
act of their lives, the Persians hit ut lf.sssstc
upon b sort Of portable screen which they
1Iniglft fntefpC5c betsyegn tIsen fTea asTd
his beams, securing for the former rri-.
vacy and for the Latter Ignorance OF what
his devotees wero doing. This may sound
q rather far fetched theory, but 1t Is prob
ably the true one, and whether or no, it is
certain umbrellas did not originate in
either Europe or America.
THE UMBRELLA ABROAD.
In Siam the possession Of umbrellas is
restricted to those Of high rank, Mr.. Spcn-
Ger telling US that one Of tao titles of tile
dusky monarch there ID & King Of the Lm-
brella Wearing Chiefs. y In the two great
i university towns Of England etiquette dis
countenances under graduates appearing
on the streets with umbrellas, and only
i permits the airing Of these Injuries to fell
lows and graduates. In fiction the person
of Mrs. Camp has conferred on the UNI
brella an Immortality which not even the
muse of tragedy could do. Indeed, the
umbrella cuts but q poor figure iii the
tragedy, while it is quite at home in the
flights Of comedy or farce. Mrs. Camps
sunshade is SO famous that 1t has given its
name to those fluffy, obese looking articles
i which enc is apt to associate with the
ranter of old times and with modern rep
resentatives of the Lime Kiln club The
fashionable umbrella is as different a
looking affair to one Of these as it is pos
sible to imagine. "a greater contrast does
not exist between a racer and d Clydes-
dale than between the modern umbrella
and its Woolly prototype Of q generation
ago. The former is made of silk, is in
4 yariably black, brown or green in hue, is
fitted to light but strong framework,
and whether viewed as use or an orna-
ment is an eminently pleasing object to
contemplate.
The umbrella Is sometimes used as d
weapon of offense and defense, but Is
rather q poor affair If you want to
strike your enemy good esWashing
blow You had better have recourse to
some other implement than an umbrella.
Viewed In this light, it presents more IA
cilities for being used stiletto wise than Nas
claymore or cutlass Everything to its
il uses, and as you can't expect to keep rain
of with foil, SO you must not hope to
draw blood with an umbrella. Il the lat
ter Is disappointing as q weapon OF offense
80 It il as q weapon Of defense. \.
4 THE SILK UafBRE1LA.
3 If You are the possessor 81 sin um-
bfella and are DESTROYS Of appraising its
merits, See what proportion the sufead Of
i it when open bears to the diameter when
shut. TO the extent the relation partakes